Sharing 4 tips that have helped my skin // Personalized tips

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed skincare specialist. This information is specific to me, and should not replace speaking with your dermatologist about your specific skin care needs. 

I’ve never had “perfect” or “glass” skin. My skin has always struggled in some shape or form, depending on what products I used, my hormone levels, or what I ate. However, around my last year of college, I felt like I hit the jackpot in my skincare routine. I ate a predominately pescatarian diet with minimal dairy, so I was getting more Omega 3’s. At the time, I lived in Huntsville, AL, which is a pretty humid city, so the moisture did wonders for my hair and skin. I was exfoliating at least 2x a week, using masks at least every other night, and I switched to non-comedogenic, skincare products.

Then I moved to Southern California, and my skin broke out like crazy. Initially, I thought my breakouts were due to stress, since stress can cause cortisol and androgens to be released. Then I chalked it up to diet, and I tried to reduce my consumption of fried, or greasy foods. However, my skin continued to break out. This led me to do some research on some of the causes of acne, and here’s what I found:

What influences a breakout:

• Acne occurs when our pores become clogged with oil, dead skin, or bacteria. This process can occur when there is an overproduction of serbum. The introduction of bacteria can also cause inflammation, which worsens current acne.
• Hard water can dry out the skin. The minerals in hard water changes the way our natural body oil flows. Instead of functioning more as a liquid, our body’s oils become thick and waxy.
• Greasy hair care products & skincare products can clog pores.
• Lastly, a lack of exfoliation or over exfoliation can clog the pores, via dead skin. Over-exfoliation can irritate the skin barrier, causing you to produce more sebum (natural oil).

With that being said, I’ve made some adjustments to my skin care routine based on what I’ve learned from my research and dermatologist. And I’m happy to report that I’ve seen some improvements as a result, so here are:

4 Tips that have helped my Skin

1. Less is more:

I’ve been there. You’re trying out 50,001 beauty products to treat your acne, fade your dark marks, and keep your skin youthful. But less is truly more. Using too many skin care products can cause your skin to become itchy, red, tight, and/or inflamed. Instead of using a variety of cleansers, I now alternate between philosophy Purity One Step face wash, and Cerave Foaming Wash. These two do a good job of cleansing the skin, while maintaining your skin barrier.

2. See a culturally competent Dermatologist:

Yes, you read it correctly. I saw a Black, culturally competent dermatologist. Here’s the thing, I have nothing against other Dermatology physicians. However, my last three dermatologists dismissed my concerns about my acne treatment, and didn’t feel comfortable assessing my skin and hair care needs. Thankfully, the third dermatologist I saw, referred me to her African American colleague, who assessed my skin and provided me with the right treatment regimen. At the end of the day, it’s important for all health care professionals to be culturally competent in the skin care needs of ALL races.

3. Check your water:

One of the major causes of my breakouts was my hard water faucet. It didn’t occur to me that my skin didn’t tolerate California’s hard water system, and needed a softer system. As I shared earlier, hard water causes our natural oils to become thick and waxy, making it harder for soap to penetrate. Two products that have helped to soften my water are: Filterbaby ProDermis Water Filter and the NearMoon Filtered Shower Head. Both of these contain filters that help to purify the water, and promote softer skin and less irritation.

4. Switch up your exfoliating techniques:

I still use a spin brush like TAO Clean ONA Diamond Facial Cleansing Brush to exfoliate. I like this brand because it kills germs on the brush in between uses. But I also use physical exfoliant scrubs that use brown sugar or rice powder, to give my skin a break from the brush. Two physical exfoliants I like are Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, or Freeman Beauty Charcoal and Black Sugar Scrub. There are also chemical exfoliants out there such as BHA/AHAs. However, I don’t tend to do well on those. So I use prescription Tarazotene or tretinoin, which helps me shed the hyper-pigmented layer of my skin.

If you have any skin care tips that you’d like to share, comment them below, or message me on my Instagram @krystalgeorgerd.